Belt placer and tightener



No. 6I6,792. Patented Dec.27, I898 A. LUKE.

BELT PLACER AND TIGHTENER.

(Application filed Aug. 19, 1898.) p v (No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheefl.

wil vmoaa/a I 2 M n 8 B l h 7 s 7 2 w 7 H c M m 3 d e .t n e t a E N) THm l s E & Du W L M .R Em 0n m w M l- E B (NoModeL) No. 6|6,792. IPatented Dec. 27, I898.

A. LUKE. BELT PLACER AND TIGHTENER.

(Application filed Aug. 18, 18 98.) (in Model.)

Elm mentor:

THE Ncnms PEYERS co. vna'ro-Lnua. WASHINGTON.-D. c4

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM LUKE, OF ELKHART, INDIANA.

BELT PLACER AND TIG HTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,792, dated December27, 1898.

Application filed August 18,1898. Serial No. 688,944. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM LUKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt Placers andTighteners for Portable Engines; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention relates to an improved belt adjuster and tightener forportable engines of the type generally used for agricultural purposes.

For reasons well known to those versed in the art great difficulty hasbeen heretofore eX- perienced in placing the drive-belt on theband-pulley of an engine after the latter has been placed in properposition with reference to the thresher or other machine to be driven.

The object of the present invention is to obviate all annoyance andtrouble and facilitate the placing of the drive-belt on the pulley andat the same time take up the slack and tighten the said belt; also, toprovide a simple and effective form of clutch and improved operatingmechanism therefor whereby the loose pulley may be readily andconveniently shifted and thrown into engagement with the band-pulley ordrive-wheel.

The invention will be more particularly set forth hereinafter, referencebeing had to the parts which are indicatedvby similar reference-lettersthroughout the several Views in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a top plan view of a portable engine and portion of athreshing-machine, showing my invention in use in connection therewith.Fig. 2 is a detached perspective View of a portion of the drive-shaft,the bandpulley, and loose supplemental pulley carried thereby and theclutch mechanism coacting therewith. Fig. 3 is an'end elevational viewof the same. Fig. 4 is a top plan view. Fig.

5 is a side elevational view looking toward the loose supplementalpulley. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section showing the normal position ofthe parts when the loose pulley is disengaged. Fig. 7 is a similar viewshowing the position of the parts when the loose pulley is A representsa shelf or bracket mounted on 1 the engine and carrying bearings c forthe drive-shaft B, upon which the band-wheel D is mounted.

Z is a drive-belt which is supported at its ends when in operativeposition on the band wheels D and Z. V

The shaft Bis made longer than usual and projects beyond the band-wheelD to receive the supplemental loose pulley E, which is of slightly lessdiameter than the band-wheel. Thesupple'mental pulley is fitted to slidelongitudinally on the shaft and is provided on its inner sidewith aclutch disk or head F,

having a convex outer face which is adapted to frictionally engage theconcaved outer face of a o'omplemental clutch-disk G on the adjoiningside of the band-wheel. This form of friction-clutch, while deemedpreferable on account of its simplicity of construction, is notessential, as any other form of clutch suitable for the purpose may beemployed.

The hub h of the supplemental pulley is extended on its outer side andformed with an annular groove 2', and mounted on the shaft is a shiftingcollar J, provided with a segmental flange It, which partiallyencompasses said hub and is formed with a tongue Z, which projects intothe groove thereof. This flange is cut away, as at m, and is beveled atits ends, so that it may be readily and conveniently applied andremoved. By sliding this collar in or out relatively to the band-wheelit will be seen that the loose pulley will be moved toward or from saidband wheel and the clutch-disks thereon engaged or released fromengagement to cause the loose pulley to re volve with the band-wheel andshaft or remain at rest. To the collar is connected a shifting yoke orfork it, carried by a lever O, pivoted at p to the short arm (1 of anapproximately L-shaped bracket Q, the long arm q of which is secured atits inner end to the shelf or bracket A and extends outwardly therefrompast the pulleys. Projecting upward from said shelf or bracket is ashort post 7', and to this is pivoted an operating-lever S, provided atone end with a handle T, whereby it may be conveniently operated by theengineer or driver from his position on the engine. A link orconnecting-rod 7t pivotally connects the adjoining ends of the twolevers O and b, so that by moving the handle end of the latter in onedirection or the other the shifting collar will be operated to move thesupplemental pulley and its clutch-disk into and out of engagement withthe clutch-disk on the band-pulley. The handle end of theoperating-lever S is confined in a loop or stirrup v and is notched at wto engage notched portions 00 therein, whereby it will be held securelyagainst casual disengagement in either of its adjusted positions.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The supplemental pulley isreleased from engagement with the band-pulley, so as to revolve freelyon the shaft B, the drivebelt Z being preliminarily placed by hand onthe band-pulley Z of the machine to be driven and on the saidsupplemental pulley. The engine is then run back and. forth in the usualmanner to bring the belt-pulleyE into alinement with the pulley Zwithout moving the belt, and after the engine has been properly adjustedand its position fixed the handlever is operated to shift thesupplemental pulley into engagement with the band-pulley, so as to causeit to revolve therewith and with the shaft. \Vhen this is done, thedrivebelt will extend from the pulley Z on the thresher or other machineto be driven to the supplemental pulley, as shown in broken lines inFig. 1. When the engine is started, however, the supplemental pulleywill revolve with the band-pulley and shaft and the belt will creep andpass from said supplemental pulley onto the band-pulley automatically orwith very little assistance, and at the same time will be tightened tothe proper tension, owing to the larger diameter of the bandwheel.

The operation just described is efiected by reason of the great lengthof the belt, which enables it to easily conform to the larger diameterof the band-pulley and to its natural tendency to creep laterally orsidewise when out of proper alinement.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Thecombination, with the belt-pulley of a machine to be driven, of aportable engine provided with a drive-shaft, a drive-pulley fixed onsaid shaft and carrying a clutch member, a loose supplemental pulleyslidably mounted on the shaft and carrying a complemental clutch member,a drive-belt passed around the said pulley of the machine to .be'

driven and supplementalpulley, and means for operatingthe supplementalpulleyto throw the clutch member thereof into and out of engagement withthe clutcth member on the drive-pulley, whereby when the saidsupplemental pulley is out of alinement with the belt-pulley on themachine to be driven and is thrown into operation, the belt will creeptherefrom onto the drive-pulley,substan tially as described.

2. The combination, with the belt-pulley of a machine to be driven, of aportable engine provided with a drive-shaft extended at one sidethereof, a drive-pulley fixed on said shaft and carrying a clutchmember, a loose supplemental pulley slidably mounted on the extended endof the shaft exteriorly of the drivepulley and carrying a complementalclutch member,a shifting collar detach ably mounted on the projectinghub of the supplemental pulley, a drive-belt passed around the saidpulley on the machine to be driven and supplemental pulley, and a leverconnected with the collar for operating the supplemental pulley to throwthe clutch member thereof into and out of engagement with the clutchmember on the drive-pulley, whereby when the said supplemental pulley isout of alinement with the belt-pulley on the machine to be driven and isthrown into operation, the belt will creep therefrom onto thedrive-pulley, substantially as described.

3. In a'portable engine, the combination of a drive-shaft extended atone end thereof, a drive-pulley fixed on said shaft and provided on itsouter side with a clutch member, a relatively smaller supplementalpulley slidably mounted on the extended end of the shaft and provided onits inner side with a complemental clutch member, a bracket on theengine, and a lever mounted on said bracket and connected with thesupplemental pulley to move the same toward and from said drive-pulley,said lever being provided with a handle arranged so as to beconveniently operated from the engineers position, sub stantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ABRAHAM LUKE.

\Vitnesses:

CLYDE RAYMER, TULLAR J. WoonARn.

Ior

